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Sunshine

A Short Story Written by:

Chase Merkley

            “How can you tell if you’re in love?”  I said to myself.  “Is it the kiss?  Is it the butterflies that fly around in your stomach?  How can you really tell if you’re in love?”

            “Chase,” I heard Mrs. Brown say.  I close my eyes and come back to reality and stare at her.  She stands in front of the class.  “Are you ready to read your paper?”  She asks. 

            “Yeah…yeah I think so Mrs. Brown,” I say getting up out of my chair.  Mrs. Brown’s assignment was to write about ourselves for the foreign exchange students.  I walked up to the front of the class and saw the three students; two attractive girls and a male student.

            “Hello foreign exchange students,” I said waving.  They just smiled.  I wasn’t really sure if they knew a whole lot of English.  I began to read my paper.  “My name is Chase Merkley.  I was born in Stephenville, Texas on August 27, 1989.  My phone number is 652-7234 for the ladies,” I said giving them a wink.  The three students laughed.  I looked at the male student.  “You don’t call me,” I said.  The class began to laugh. 

            “Chase,” Mrs. Brown said.  I gave her a smile.  I kept on with my paper.

            “I am considered the class clown here at Lorena High School,” I said.  “I came to Lorena when I was in the third grade.  I didn’t know anyone, so I kept quiet.  I remember everyday I would look at Bradley’s mole that sits on his ear,” I say.  Everyone turns and stares at Bradley and begin laughing.  “Bradley, you got to fix that,” I tell him.  “I love writing and I’m planning, after graduation, to go to film school after two years at TSTC community college,” I say.  I continue on with the paper and finish talking about myself.  As I get applause for my paper from my classmates, one of the foreign students raises their hands.  “Oh yes,” I say pointing at her. 

            “Do you…” she says and then pauses looking for the word in her mind.  “Have girlfriend?”  She says.  Everyone in the room begins to moan and blow kisses at me and laugh.  I blush a little and look at her. 

            “No I do not,” I tell her.  The bell rings for anything else is said.  I stand there and slowly walk back to my seat. 

“What is love?”  I said opening my eyes waking from the dream.  I looked at the fan that spun above me.  I turn to see the blades shadows on my wall.  As I stare at the wall, I lower my head and stare at the picture inside the frame.  I see my little girl, Michelle, and my lovely wife Amy.  I slowly sit up from my bed, and step on the floor.  I slowly walk to the frame.  I stand there, pick up the frame, and stare at it.  I see her and smile.

“Dad?”  I hear behind me.  I quickly turn and see Michelle looking at me.  I hide my feelings and put the frame down.

“Hey baby,” I say to her walking towards her.  “You’re up early,” I say.  She smiles and looks at me.

“Dad!  Did you forget?”  She asks.  I give her a smile and play along.

“What are you talking about Michelle?”  I say.

“Dad, it’s my birthday!”  She screams.

“It is?”  I say laughing.  “How old are you?”

“Dad, I’m eleven!”  She says. 

“You’re eleven!  Dang, I’m getting old,” I say smiling staring into her eyes.  “Alright, I’ll go shower and we’ll go out for your big day,” I tell her.

“YAY!”  She screams jumping up and down. 

I walk into the building and walk to the desk.  The woman sits there on the phone.  I stand there staring at her waiting for her to give me some attention.  The woman reminded of a horror movie I saw once.  Everything about her just scared you and sent chills down your spine.  As I stand there, I see a woman come up and stand beside me.  I try not to make it obvious that I was staring at her.  I catch her staring a glance in my direction.  I try to keep my composure.

“Can I help you?”  She asks the woman.  I stand there upset, not trying to show it.  The woman turns and looks at me.

“Actually, he was here first,” she says looking in my direction.  The woman at the desk turns her chair and stares at me. 

“Well?”  She asks me.

“I’m here to pick up my daughter,” I say.

“You have a daughter?”  The woman beside me asks.  I turn to her.

“Yeah, her name is Michelle,” I say.

“I love that name,” she says to me.

“Why thank you,” I say.  I turn back and see the woman at the desk just staring at me.  Her face shows no emotion. 

“How cute,” she says very dry.  I just stand there without knowing what to say.  “She’s in the play room waiting,” she says.

I leave the creepy lady alone and walk down the hallway.  I walk to the door and stand in front of it as I hear little children laughing and screaming inside.  I open the door and look for Michelle.  I walk in and see her playing by herself writing on a yellow piece of paper with a red crayon.  I smile and walk towards her.

“Hey hummingbird, what are you doing?”  I ask her getting down on one knee.  She quickly hides the piece of paper and turns towards me.

“Dad!  You can’t look!”  She says.  I stand and step back away from her. 

“Don’t let me intrude or anything.  Are you ready to go?”  I ask her.  She nods her head and folds the paper and puts it in her pocket as she stands.  She takes hold of my hand as we walk out of the room.

The creepy woman scares me to death as I walk out of the door.  She stands there staring at me.  “Mr. Merkley,” she says.  “Did you want to set up her new appointment now or on a later date?”  She says not staring in my eyes.  I look at how short she really is and lower my head to look at her. 

“Later please ma’am,” I say.  She says nothing and slowly walks off.

“She’s weird daddy,” Michelle says.  I agree with her as we head down the hall.

            “You hungry?”  I ask her.  She screams at me saying she is starving.  I laugh as we pull into the restaurant called “Montana’s”.  Michelle gets out of the car and takes off in a full sprint.  I run after her trying to chase her down. 

            We are seated at our table as we wait for our waiter.  “I’m thinking chicken fried steak,” I say out loud.  “What about you hummingbird?”  I ask.  She stares at the menu and then looks at me.

            “I’m thinking the same thing,” she says.

            “Good choice,” a woman says.  I turn and look up to see the same woman I saw at the Michelle’s dentist office.  “Didn’t think I would see you here,” she says to me.  I smile and look at her.

            “I was just thinking the same thing,” I say.  I turn and look at Michelle who looks very confused.  She gives me a look asking me what is going on.  I give her the look that I would tell her later and look back at the woman. 

            “So do you want something to drink sir?”  She asks me with a smile.

            “Water for me,” I say.

            “Water,” Michelle says.  I look at the woman smiling at Michelle.

            “So do I get to know the name of my stalker?”  I ask her.  She laughs and looks at me. 

            “I’m one of the best stalkers around.  I got this job in less than five minutes and I made you sure I had your table.  My name is Leah,” she says.

            “Chase,” I tell her pointing to myself.  She laughs and touches my shoulder.

            “I like that name,” she says.  “I’ll go get those drinks and get your order when I get back,” she says walking off.  I turn and stare at Michelle who is looking at me.

            “Who was that?”  She asks me.

            “I met her when I came to pick you up today,” I tell her.

            “You like her?”  She asks.  I laugh a little.

            “Why are you asking me that?” 

            “I say go for it dad,” she says.  I laugh again.

            “You say go for it?” 

            “You need to,” is all she says. 

            I say nothing as Leah returns with the water’s.  I quickly stare at her.  “Leah…” I say to her as she looks at me.  She says nothing.  “What are you doing after work?”  I ask.  She smiles and moves her hair from her eyes.

            “Can I get two for "The Romantic Story",” I say to the ticket booth man.  Leah stands beside me.

            “Here you go sir, and enjoy your movie,” he says.

            “Thank you,” Leah says trying to keep up with me as I run into the theatre.

            We walk into the screening room and stand at the bottom in front of the stairs.  I turn and look at her.  “What?”  She asks.

            “Where are we sitting?”  I ask.  She laughs and begins walking up.

            “Ugh…I don’t know Chase,” she says.  She stops in the middle and looks at me.  “Is this ok?”  She asks.

            “Is it ok with you?”  I ask.  She laughs and hits me in the arm and makes her way to her chair.  I follow and find my seat.  We sit there.

            “So since I paid, I’m calling this a date if that’s ok with you,” I say to her.  She laughs and looks at me.

            “Well I guess that’s ok,” she says.  “So Chase, tell me about yourself.”  I turn away from her and stare at the white screen.

            “Like what?”  I ask.

            “Where do you work?”

            “I’m a writer,” I tell her. 

            “A writer?  Wow…I’m impressed,” she says laughing.  I laugh with her.

            “So how do you like your job waiting tables?”  I ask.  She rolls her eyes, and I laugh knowing what she is thinking.

            “It’s horrible, but it’s money,” she says.  I agree with her.  “My dream is to be a photographer, but I know that will never happen,” she says laughing.

“Dreams can always come true,” I say to her.  I can tell she wants to ask a question, but she hesitates.  She turns and looks at me.  I can see in her facial expression how she wants to ask it without being rude in anyway. 

            “So…did you get a divorce?”  She asks.  I suddenly flashback to the time it occurred.  I close my eyes and can see every visual image as clear as if it happened a couple of hours ago.

            “She was actually killed in a car accident two years ago,” I say looking at her.  She becomes silent. 

            “Oh my God, I am so sorry Chase,” she says.

            “Hey Leah, its ok.  You didn’t know,” I say.  The room becomes dark as the movie begins.

            After taking her home, I walk inside my home and walk down the hallway to Michelle’s room.  I open the door and see her sleeping in her bed.  I smile and slowly close the door.  I walk into my bedroom and get ready for bed. 

            Before turning off the light to my room, my body turns towards the frame.  I walk over the frame and stare at it again.  I see my wife Amy smiling in the photo.  I look at Michelle who is looking goofy hitting me in the stomach.  I continue to stare at Amy.  Suddenly, it feels like she is staring at me.  I close my eyes as they become moist.  I open my eyes and stare at her and her smile.  I laugh remembering the memories and then stare into her eyes.  I want to stop, but my emotions take control.  I close my eyes again as a tear runs down my cheek.  The night she left me would never leave me…no matter how much I pray it would.

            “Well since my flight got moved back, I won’t be home until late tonight,” Amy says to me over the phone. 

            “You’re telling me that my honeybunnie isn’t coming home until tonight?”  I ask.

            “Sorry baby,” she says.  “How did Michelle do her first day?”  She asks.

            “She came home and said she hates school,” I say laughing.

            “Oh great, she has your genes now,” she says.  I laugh some more. 

            “Got to love her honey,” I say.  She laughs.

            “I can’t get home and see you...tear,” she says.

            “Oh really?  Why’s that?”  I ask laughing.

            “You know why,” she says.

            “No…no I don’t really know,” I say with a smile.

            “Chase!  Shut up!  You do to know,” she says laughing.

            “I love you to Amy,” I say laughing.

            “I promise I will make it up to you,” she says.  I tell her it’s ok and to just get home safe.

            “I love you Chase,” she says.

            “I love you to Amy,” I say.

            “You promise?  Would you love me tomorrow?”  She asks laughing.

            “And the next day and the next month and forever Amy,” I say to her.  I hang up as we say goodbye and I walk to hang out with Michelle.  I see her sitting on the couch watching a movie.  I scare her by jumping on the couch and screaming.  She hits me in the arm with a smile.  “Hey hummingbird, what are you watching?”  I ask her.

            “This guy trying to get this girl to love her,” she says. 

            “Oh a chick flick?  Now you have your mother’s genes,” I say watching it with her.

            A knock to the door wakes me.  I wipe my eyes and check the clock as it reads 1:00 a.m.  I slowly get off the couch and make my way to the door.  I unlock the door, slowly open the door and see two officers at my front porch.

            “Officers…” I say confused.

            “Mr. Merkley?”  They ask.

            “Yes, that’s me.  Is there a problem?”  I ask.

            “It’s your wife sir,” one of them says.  I look at the other man and he lowers his head. 

            “Is she ok?”  I ask closing the door and stepping outside with them.  They say nothing.  “Please…is she ok?”  I ask again feeling my emotions.  “No…” I say knowing what happened.  “Oh no…please…” I say trying to fight the tears.  I try to speak, but can’t speak.  My chest wants to burst as tears fall down from my eyes.  I try to hold myself up, but become too weak and fall to my knees. 

            Darkness surrounds me, and I find myself staring at a brown, double door.  A man comes up to me with a black suit.  “Amy is inside,” he says.  “Do you want you want Michelle to go?”  He asks.  I turn and look at him.  I tell him no and slowly walk into the room.  I see her lying in the casket.  I start crying right then as I see my love lay there motionless and lifeless.  I walk to her with tears covering my face.  I look down and stare at her and give her a kiss on her forehead.  “Hey Amy,” I say.  I try to speak, but more tears come down.  “It wasn’t your time Amy,” I say crying.  “Please…wake up…” I say.  “Amy…”

            “We are here today to remember the woman who won Chase Merkley’s heart,” the Preacher says at the funeral.  I sit there not crying, but just staring at her in open casket.  “Amy is now resting in the place of God,” he says.  “Chase…” he says trying to get my attention.  “She shall never leave you.  She shall never let you go.  She shall watch over you and guide your life as well as Michelle’s,” he says to me.  “Amy has become an angel today ladies and gentlmen,” he finishes. 

            Family and friends go up before the podium and decide to share stories about Amy.  The whole day was too emotional for me.  After I thought it was all over, someone else wanted to speak.  “The daughter of Amy would like to come up to the podium,” the Preacher says.  I turn to my side and see Michelle stand.  I grab her and whisper in her ear, “You sure you want to do this?”  She looks at me and nods her head and makes her way to the podium with her paper.  I knew my daughter was something very special knowing she was a great writer even for the age of nine at the time. 

            She steps and doesn’t look nervous at all as she speaks to the crowd.  “My mommy was everything,” she says.  “She taught me how to tie my shoes and taught me how to hit daddy in the arm,” she says.  The crowd laughs as they cry.  “The last time I saw my mommy was on Wednesday,” she says.  “She told me that she was going away.  I told her I loved her and I did not want her to go.  She said she would come back on Friday and then she gave me a hug telling me she loved me,” she reads off her paper.  “Mommy lied and did not come back,” she finishes.  She turns and looks at Amy in the casket.  “I miss my mommy,” she says crying making more people cry harder in the crowded room.  I quickly walk up to her with tears and pick her up and cry with her.  "Mommy, come back!"  She screams crying on my shoulders.  We stand there, not caring about the rest of the day, crying for Amy. 

            Later, during the ceremony, music is played for Amy as we sit and hold silence for her.  The Preacher plays Amy’s favorite song “I will Love you” by Fisher.  I look down and stare at Michelle and see her tearing up as her eyes are closed.  I turn and look forward as I stare at Amy.

My eyes open slowly.  I sit up from the bed and yawn as I stretch my arms over my head.  I stand on the floor and walk to my door.  As I open it, I smell something. 

            I walk into the kitchen where I see Michelle.  “Michelle, is that toast?”  I ask her.

            “You want some?”  She asks me sitting down.  I walk forward and sit beside her.

            “I’m fine hummingbird,” I say to her.  She smiles and looks at me as she takes a bite.

            “So…how was it?”  She asks.  I smile.

            “How was what?”  She laughs and hits me.

            “Dad, you know what I’m talking about!  Is she nice?”

            “Very much my hummingbird,” I say getting up to get something to drink.

            “You going to go out with her again daddy?”  I pour me some fresh orange juice and take a drink and stare at her.

            “Do you want me to?”  I ask.  She looks at me.

            “You need to be happy, so I say yes,” she says taking another bite.  I laugh a little and look at her.

            “Happy?  You don’t think I’m happy?”  I ask.

            “Are you?”  She asks.  I pause and think a moment.  I lower my head and close my eyes for a second and see Amy smiling.  I open my eyes and she disappears as I stare at Michelle.

            “I don’t know,” I say to her confused.

            “I know you like her daddy,” she tells me.

            “How do you figure that sweety?”

            “The way you were nervous talking to her and the way you were shaking,” she says.  “Mommy told me that is what you did when you first met her,” she says taking a drink.  I smile remembering the first time I met Amy.  I smile as she fades again.

            “Can I get you anything else for you guys?”  Leah asks grabbing the older couple’s plates.

            “Just bring me the bill,” the older man says sounding very upset. 

            “Yes sir,” she says.  “Again, I’m sorry for the way your steak was cooked,” she finishes turning around to walk off.  As she walks off, she hears the older man say to his wife, “Worst waitress ever honey.”  Leah walks off trying to hide her emotions.  She walks and sees her girl friend at the computer.

            “Leah, what’s wrong?”  She asks her.

            “Oh hey Holly,” Leah says.  “It’s just that couple over at table twelve,” she says.  “I have never been treated like that before,” she finishes wiping her eyes trying not to cry.

            “Oh sweety, it’s ok,” Holly says.

            “Yeah…” Leah says walking back to the table.  She wipes her eyes again and puts on her fake smile as she reaches the table.  The man looks at her with anger as the woman does the same.

            “Here you go,” she says setting the bill down on their table.

            “Leah,” I say surprising her.  She turns to me and looks surprised to see me.  She smiles and stares at me. 

            “Hey Chase,” she says laughing.  “I’m kind of busy at the moment,” she says.  “What is it?”  She asks.  I grasp her hand and look into her eyes.

            “You’re leaving,” I say to her.  She smiles and looks at me with confusion.

            “What?  I can’t just leave,” she says.  I laugh and look at her.

            “Yes you can,” I tell her.  “One life Leah,” I say.  “You want to think about your dreams or live your dreams?”  I ask her.  She looks at me with a smile. 

            “Excuse me?”  The older man says to me.  I turn and look at him.

            “She’s leaving,” I tell him.

            “She is certainly not leaving young man,” he says with rage.

            “This is crazy Chase?  You want me to leave my job?”  She asks.

            “Yes!  Come and do your dream,” I say to her turning her around.  A man stands there with a serving plate with a cover over the plate.  He opens the cover to reveal a camera on top of some photography books.  She smiles with tears and turns to me.  “I told you dreams can come true,” I say to her as she hugs me. 

            “What’s going on?”  I hear the manager saying behind me.  Leah stops hugging me, wipes her tears and looks at him and then looks at me.  She smiles and laughs and turns back to him.  “I’m sorry…” she says to him.

            “What?”  He asks.

            “I quit,” she says giving me another hug.  I smile looking at her as we walk out of the restaurant.

            “Wow,” she says as I walk her to her car.  “Chase, who are you?”  She asks.  I laugh and stare at her.

            “Just a person who cares about you,” I say.

            “You barely know me,” she says laughing.

            “I don’t know how to explain it.  When something feels so right and just so free, you can’t help but hang on, you know?”  I say.  She smiles and wipes her tears as she throws her little notebook and pen in the car.  She turns back and stares into my eyes.  She moves closer to me as her lips lock with mine.  Time suddenly stopped.  Everything in my body left me.  My fears, my life, and my breath flew out of my body.

Michelle hears me open the door.  She runs down the hallway and stares at me.  She sees me smiling.  I shut the door and look at her.  “I see my idea worked,” she says with a smile.  I walk towards her and pick her up.

            “I love you hummingbird,” I say giving her a hug as we walk to the living room.  I throw her on the couch as I fall on her.  She laughs telling me to get off.  “Did you say tickle you?”  I say tickling her.  She laughs and screams telling me to stop.  I laugh as she tries to break free.  I finally stop and sit down.  We both begin to calm down and we just sit there in the dark.  I listen to her breathing as she does mine.

            “Now it’s time for the final test daddy,” she says to me.  I laugh a little.

            “What test?”

            “The sunshine test,” she says.  I laugh very confused and turn on the lamp beside her.

            “What are you talking about?  Sunshine test,” I ask her. 

            “Dad, you know what I’m talking about.  To find out if you’re in love, you watch the sun rise,” she says.  “As it rises, you have to be thinking about the woman,” she tells me.  “After the sun rises, you’ll know,” she says.  I laugh at her.

            “Did you make this up?”  I ask her.  She’s silent at first and then smiles.

            “Yeah,” she says laughing.

            “Are you saying that I love Leah?”  I ask her.  She says nothing.  I suddenly close my eyes and try to vision Amy.  She doesn’t appear to me very clear.  I open my eyes and wipe them with my hands.  I look at the time and notice it’s been a couple of hours.  I look down and hear Michelle sleeping on my shoulder.  I smile, close my eyes, and fall asleep as well.

            “I love the camera Chase!”  Leah tells me the next night.  I laugh as we come out of the movies.

            “That’s all that matters,” I say to her walking to my car.  We both get in the car.  She turns and looks at me as I turn the key to start the engine.  I look at her and see her smiling.  “Is there something in my teeth?”  I say picking at my teeth.  She laughs and lowers my arm and looks at me.

            “Chase,” she says.  “I think I’m in love with you,” she finishes.  I suddenly turn and look forward not knowing what to say.  I sit there making it awkward; frozen from the statement.  “Chase?”  She asks.  I clearly see Amy in my mind smiling holding Michelle.  Amy turns towards me and laughs as Michelle makes a face at me.  I smile holding the tears back.  “Chase?”  Leah says again.  I turn and look at her.

            “I’m sorry Leah…” I say to her not knowing what to say.

            As I drove home that night after dropping off Leah, all I could see in my mind was the past memories.  I turned the corner and saw something strange in front of my house.  I park the car and walk towards the officer who stands on my lawn.  I quickly get out of the car and ask him what’s going on.  “Mr. Merkley,” he says to me.  “It’s your daughter,” he says to me.

            I quickly run into the hospital and find my mom and dad.  They give me a hug.  I see Amy’s parents and I give them a hug as well when the doctor comes to me.  “What happened?”

            “Why didn’t you answer your phone Chase,” my mother asks me.  I look at her quickly and tell her I was in a movie.  I look back at the doctor with anger and emotions.

            “What happened to my daughter?”  I ask him.  He lowers his head and looks at me. 

            “You’re daughter was hit by a teenager who was under the influence,” he says.  My heart falls into my stomach.  I become speechless.  “She’s still alive Mr. Merkley,” he tells me.  “She’s in that room,” he says pointing to room 13.  I hold the tears in my eyes as I walk towards the door.  I stop in front of the door and stare at it.  I take a breath and open the door.  I hear the heart monitor and look at her.  I see the bruising on her jaw and her black eye.  I see the scratches on her arms and look back at her face.  I put my hand over my mouth as I am just in shock that this could happen to my little angel.  I walk further in the room and see a chair right beside her.  I slowly sit down and slowly reach for her hand.  Her eyes are closed.  Tears beat me and begin to fall down on the bed and down my cheeks.

            “Hey my hummingbird,” I say.  “I’m here for you and I’m not going anywhere.”  I stop to cry and take a breath.  “The day I saw you, I was scared,” I say.  “I was scared that you would be absolute nothing like me; but I was wrong.  I wasn’t scared of you Michelle; I was scared of me.  I was scared that I wouldn’t be a good father and I was scared if I could love you enough,” I say taking a breath.  “You are everything to me sweety.  You’re my hummingbird,” I say crying.  “You’re my hummingbird.”  I suddenly stop and stare at her hand I’m holding.  I see her fingers grasping my hand.  I smile with tears and kiss her forehead.  “I’ll let you rest now sweety,” I say letting go of her hand.

            I stand from the chair and wipe my eyes.  “Daddy,” I hear her say.  I quickly turn around and run back to the chair.

            “Yes baby?  I’m right here,” I say to her.  She slowly turns to me and tries to open her eyes.  She grabs hold of my hand and stares into my tearful eyes. 

“Sunshine,” she tells me.  “For me,” she says.  “Forever with love,” she says.  I smile at her.

I give her another kiss and make my way outside.  “Chase, where are you going?”  My dad asks me. 

“To watch the sunset dad,” I say walking out the door. 

Before I knew it, I saw myself sitting on my roof staring off into the sky.  I wait sitting there.  I look up above me and picture God looking at me.  “God…” I say.  “What is love?”  I ask him.  I feel nothing but a cold chill in the wind as I look straight ahead seeing the sun appearing.  I stare as the sun hits my eyes.  Nothing but chills go into my body as the sun warms me.  My tears disappear leaving my face red.  I close my eyes feeling the sun go into me.  My life is thrown into my mind as I remember all the memories.  “I love you Chase,” I hear Amy say.  “Daddy, I love you,” I hear Michelle.  “Chase…” I hear Leah say.  “I don’t know what to do Michelle,” I hear myself saying.  “Love will know daddy,” I hear her say.  “It’s all you need to survive,” I hear her say again.  I open my eyes as my memories past through me.  I see the sun rise into the open sky.  I sit there for a moment.  I lower my eyes and smile.

“Hey Chase!”  I hear my neighbor screaming.  I look down and look at him.  “What are you doing up there?”

“Just enjoying the sun Dave,” I tell him.  I look back up at the open sky.

Leah opens her door with a suitcase.  She walks back in the house to grab some more stuff before shutting the door. 

“I see what you’re doing,” I say and startle her as she tries to lock the door.  She turns and looks at me.

“Chase, what are you doing here?”

“Why are you running away Leah?”  I ask her.

“It’s what I do Chase,” she says.  “If I can’t handle it, I leave,” she finishes.  I walk towards her.  “What are you doing here anyways Chase?”  She says as I walk up her front steps.

“I watched the sunset today,” I tell her.  She looks at me confused.

“What are you talking about?”  She says.

“Leah…after Amy died…I thought my soul was dead,” I say looking in her eyes.  “I felt like the only thing keeping me alive was my hummingbird,” I say.  “I never thought I could love another woman,” I say to her.  She stares into my eyes.  “Leah…you are my sunset,” I say to her.  “You bring the light, the warmth, and you bring happiness to me,” I tell her.  “I have always told Michelle that I would love anything or anyone that she loved,” I say.  I see her tearing up with a smile.  “She loves sunsets…and I love you Leah,” I say giving her a hug.  We embrace each other as we kiss each other with the sun shining above us.  The sun shined over her house as time paused for us.  Love fell back into my heart.  Until my soul is no more…I will always love the people around me.

I open the door and see Michelle staring at me.  "Hey hummingbird," I say to her.  "I want you to meet someone very specia," I say to her.

"Hi Michelle," Leah says to Michelle walking in the room and taking a seat.  I take the seat right beside Michelle and grasp her hand.

"Sunshine Michelle," I tell her.  "Love surrounds it hummingbird," I finish.  She smiles with tears in her eyes and slowly sits up in her bed.  

"You're happy daddy,' she says to me with a smile.  I look at Leah and see her almost in tears.  I turn back to my lovely daughter.

"Yeah baby..." I say and take a breath.  "Daddy's happy again," I finish.

"Then I can show you this," she says.  She pulls out from under the covers the paper she was working on in the dentist's waiting room.  She hands me it as it's folded.  I grab hold of it and give her a smile.  I slowly unfold it to reveal a drawing.  A man, a woman, and a little girl standing in front of a house with a sun in the background.  I turn to her and show the tears in my eyes as I give her a kiss on the forehead again thanking her for the lovely drawing.

"The sun brings out the happiness in all of us daddy," she says to me.  "I love you."

                                                The End
 

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Comments (3)

Posted by lorislittlesecret 2008-02-18 11:45:49 .... This story was full of emotions. There is a lot of stuff in here in such a small space. It was a little confusing, but I got all of the story. Makes me want to cry. Yeah that's right, I am the storyville crier! + Report this comment
Posted by Willowtree123 2008-02-23 19:09:06 .... I was sniffling and wiping away tears the whole time I was reading this! Aw, such a sweet story! + Report this comment
Posted by Chase07 2008-02-25 19:05:30 Thanks! Hey thanks for the comments! This story was actually really hard for me to write. I have never written a romantic story before and my friend thought it would be a good challenge. Trust me, it was a challenge. But just thanks for reading it and enjoying the story i created. Again...thanks a lot + Report this comment

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